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Four exceptional DIY items on the market

Every year you think tools can’t possibly get better. Yet every year newer and better stuff keeps coming out.

The flip-open blade on this Milwaukee Fastback utility knife makes the tool exceptionally easy to use. Press the black button and the blade hinges in for safe storage. (Steve Maxwell photo)

This rolling Kubota tool chest works exceptionally well and offers excellent value for the money. Side storage areas and recessed work top are useful details. (Steve Maxwell)

The replaceable green bottle on Miracle-Gro Liquafeed fertilizer applicator makes the system easy to use. The nozzle adjusts to deliver various spray patterns, with or without fertilizer. (Steve Maxwell photo)

This Dewalt LED work light is especially versatile because it includes a magnetic back plate, a belt clip, a flip-down kickstand and swivelling head (Steve Maxwell photos)

When I began to test and write about tools and building products in 1988, I was amazed at the new technology that kept showing up. What I didn’t foresee is how the pace of improvements would accelerate. Every year I figure that things can’t possibly get better, yet every year newer and better stuff keeps coming out.

Here’s a quick overview of a few exceptional home improvement-related items I’ve been using lately.

Milwaukee Fastback Utility Knife

For 20 years my favourite utility knives have been made by Olfa. No other new knife designs could compete with it, at least until now. Although Olfa still makes terrific knives, Milwaukee’s Fastback has taken first place in my book. The flip-open blade is the main reason why. Push a button, flick your wrist and the blade effortlessly hinges open and locks. Hit the button again and the blade folds away and locks quickly, safely and small. The whole knife is flat, too, making it comfortable to carry in your pocket or tool pouch. Available at www.amazon.ca and The Home Depot. Price runs between $10 and $15 (depending on where you buy it), so this knife is an excellent value.

Kubota Model 12000 Tool Chest

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I have half a dozen rolling tool chests in and around my shop, and this 35-inch model is the best. The drawers slide effortlessly on roller bearings, the large casters roll smoothly on the floor, the top is engineered to function as a work surface and the sides hinge outwards to reveal hanging storage racks and trays. At $599, many comparable tool chests cost more than this model, so the Kubota offers excellent value, too.

I first spotted it online at www.homedepot.ca, and as far as I know this is the only place in Canada where you can get it — and even then as an online purchase only. A good tool chest like this one offers the single most effective way to get your work space in order.

Miracle-Gro Liquefied System

In 1993, my wife Mary began a flower gardening obsession that has grown to massive proportions around our yard. Besides the scope of the venture, Mary’s extremely particular that everything look lush and keep blooming as long as possible each season.

Several years into her gardening career, bi-weekly feeding of annuals with a fertilizer solution became part of the routine. This fertilizer came in the form of a powder that mixes with water automatically in a spray gun connected to a garden hose. We used this powder-based system for years.

But this past season her experience with the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed System changed all that. Mary won’t buy any of my arguments about the powder being cheaper than the liquid, because (so she insists) LiquaFeed works so well in three ways.

First, the liquid is handier than messing with plastic envelopes and powders. Instead you just thread the bottle onto the bottom of the spray gun and get to work. Second, it’s visually obvious when you’ve actually run out of LiquaFeed. With the powder you can’t really tell when it’s gone with any certainty. Third, the real clincher against any of my budgetary arguments is that LiquaFeed simply makes things grow better. Mary’s garden always looks great but I have to admit that this year it was even better than usual.

The spray gun costs $7 and a two-bottle refill pack is $10, so cost really isn’t as much of an issue as I make it out to be.

Ryobi Lithium+ 18V Cordless Tool Batteries

Improvements in battery technology continue to allow cordless tools to keep getting better, and I’ve noticed that battery upgrades tend to happen in spurts. Ryobi’s new Lithium+ batteries have just hit store shelves, and they deliver the latest surge of improvements over previous batteries for their 18V tool line.

Besides lasting as much as four times longer between charges than older nicad batteries, Lithium+ makes tools about 35 per cent more powerful by delivering higher voltage under load. Lithium+ battery packs come in two configurations: compact ($70), and high-capacity ($100). Both come with a three-year warranty and both fit all the Ryobi One+ 18V tools that have been made since 1995.

This is the longest running example of cordless tool battery compatibility that I’ve seen.

DeWALT DCL510 12V LED Work Light

Every power tool company offers some kind of flashlight as part of their cordless tool lineup, and there are three reasons the DCL510 model is my favourite.

First of all, the square body shape, magnetic back and swivelling kickstand mean you can secure this light just about anywhere you want for hands-free use. I consider this an essential feature in any work light.

Second, it has an LED bulb, so the battery lasts for many hours of use. I never had to charge the battery once from December to May despite nightly trips to load firewood into our outdoor wood boiler.

Finally, the swivelling head means you can direct the beam anywhere you want after the light is positioned. There’s nothing not to like about this thing, except the rather steep price of $40, not including battery and charger.

Come back again and I’ll tell you about more items and techniques that help make the most of your home improvement time and effort.

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